News archive
Proposers of the IBP will newly address 5 projects supported by the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic
4. 12. 2023
The following will be introduced as coordinators: Prof. RNDr. Jan Vondráček, Ph.D. Mgr. Jaroslav Malina, Ph.D. Mgr. Karel Souček, Ph.D. As project partners: Doc. RNDr. Eduard Kejnovský, CSc. Mgr. Jan Víteček, Ph.D.
For the position of Project Coordinator:
Mgr. Jaroslav Malina, Ph.D. - DNA damage in cancer cells due to stabilization of alternative DNA structures by specific ligands. Relationship to their anticancer activity.
Mgr. Karel Souček, Ph.D. - Elucidation of the relationship between Trop2 expression and metastasis in cancer
Prof. RNDr. Jan Vondráček, Ph.D. - Effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on cellular processes associated with stress signaling and deregulation of metabolism
Project partner:
Doc. RNDr. Eduard Kejnovský, CSc. - Causes and consequences of recombination frequency evolution in eukaryotic lineages differing in chromosome type. The project is coordinated by the Faculty of Science, Masaryk University
Mgr. Jan Víteček, Ph.D. - New conductive hydrogels for future biomedical applications. The project is coordinated by the Faculty of Chemistry, VUT.
read more HERE
A paper from the Department of Biophysical Chemistry and Molecular Oncology is once again headed to an Elsevier journal.
28. 11. 2023
What has been gained from research into the possibility of using N-methyl mesoporphyrin IX (NMM) as a probe for electrochemical detection? This is what the group around Assoc. Prof. Miroslav Fojta, PhD. from the Department of Biophysical Chemistry and Molecular Oncology in an article in the journal Bioelectrochemistry.
In this work, the potential use of N-methyl mesoporphyrin IX (NMM) as a probe for the electrochemical detection and study of G-quadruplexes, stable DNA secondary structures that play a role in the regulation of important biological processes, was investigated. The results of this work showed that G-quadruplexes can be detected using this newly developed method and distinguished from other DNA structures based on their differential adsorption on the surface of the working electrode. This method also gave researchers the ability to observe the gradual formation of G-quadruplex structures with efficiency comparable to conventional CD spectroscopy methods, but with less experimental material consumption.
The full article can be found in the link HERE
The scientific group around Prof. Šponer publishes a paper in the Journal of Chemical Theory and Compution.
23. 11. 2023
Prof. Šponer's research group from the Department of Structure and Dynamics of Nucleonic Acids has a new paper in the American Chemical Society (ACS) Journal of Chemical Theory and Compution.
Professor Jiri Sponer from Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences and fellow researchers work on improving empirical potentials (force fields) for molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of nucleic acids.
In the latest paper, they identified a subtle yet visible force-field artifact that had eluded force-field developers for the past decade. The artifact is connected with a steric clash between atoms involved in base-phoshate interactions. The authors proposed and tested simple correction which is improving the performance of the the state-of-the-art RNA force field.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE IN THE LINK HERE
The adenylyl cyclase signaling pathway is considered to be a key regulator of immune system function - a new paper from the Department of Biophysics of the Immune System
17. 11. 2023
New research focusing on the immune system suggests that the adenylyl cyclase (AC) signaling pathway may play a key role in regulating immune system function. The study focused on the effects of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) on the differentiation and function of T helper (Th) cells, specifically on the development of Th1, Th2 and Th17 subsets.
New research focused on the immune system suggests that the adenylyl cyclase (AC) signaling pathway may play a key role in regulating immune system function. The study focused on the effects of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) on the differentiation and function of T helper (Th) cells, specifically on the development of Th1, Th2 and Th17 subsets. 
The researchers used forskolin (FSK), a known AC activator, and found that FSK increased specific markers for Th1 and promoted Th2 differentiation, albeit with negative effects on cell metabolism. In contrast, the Th17 immunophenotype was strongly suppressed with a highly specific increase in CXCL13. The study also confirmed a causal link between FSK-activated cAMP production and the observed effects on Th2 differentiation by the AC inhibitor. Overall, it suggests that cAMP elevation by FSK can affect Th1, Th2 and Th17 differentiation, which may contribute to the identification of novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of Th cell-associated pathologies.
FULL ARTICLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE
Martin Falk one of the co-authors of the new RADIOBIOLOGY TEXTBOOK
2. 10. 2023
We are pleased and proud to announce that Assoc. Prof. RNDr. Martin Falk, Ph.D. from the Institute of Biophysics of the CAS co-authored and published a new textbook entitled RADIOBIOLOGY TEXTBOOK.
The new book has been produced under the auspices of the European Radiation Research Society (ERRS), with about 100 authors working on it.
The book fills a long-existing gap for a review book and textbook in the field. It is the latest textbook (1st edition) providing not only the basic knowledge of radiobiology that every undergraduate student should know, but also a book summarizing in an overview manner the most important broader spectrum of expanding information on advances in a wide range of radiobiological and (radio)medical fields.
The interpretation is accompanied by numerous illustrations and real research data, and the basic knowledge that the reader should acquire after reading the chapter is highlighted and summarized in the form of clear tables.
The book has approximately 600 pages, was published by Springer and is available as a FREE electronic download HERE. It can be purchased in print form there for 53.49 euros (hardcover) or cheaper (paperback).